A New Era in Oregon Unionism
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OREGON AFL-CIO / LERC SUMMER SCHOOL 2018 Friday Opening Session: A New Era in Oregon Unionism Welcome to our Guest GSH Great Room • 6:45–8 pm Jessica Garcia Eades is a language Introductions by Pat Riggs-Henson, arts National Board Certified educator President of Lane County Central Labor Chapter, working at University High School in Morgantown, WV. As a Hispanic woman Oregon AFL-CIO teaching in a state known for its economic challenges and limited racial and ethnic Featuring diversity, Jessica uses literature, poetry, Tom Chamberlain, President, Oregon AFL-CIO and story telling to create opportunities for her students to authentically engage Tom Chamberlain has been with and learn from those with radically President of the OR AFL-CIO since different stories, histories, and traditions, but shared human 2005. Following his service in experiences. Outside of the classroom, she serves as a member the United States Air Force, Tom of the National Organization of Women, the National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE), and is a contributor to the National joined the Portland Fire Fighters Writing Project. She is also active with Mountaineers for Association in 1977. His local union Progress, a local social justice initiative. elected him Secretary-Treasurer in 1988 and he served in that capacity Jessica is an active member of the Monongalia County chapter for 10 years. In 1998 Local 43, the of the West Virginia Education Association, and alongside firefighters’ biggest Oregon local, elected Tom to succeed nearly 20,000 fellow educators and school service personnel, a former Portland City Commissioner Randy Leonard as proud member of “55 Strong.” President. Tom has been a member of Firefighters Local Jessica’s visit is sponsored by: 43 for more than 30 years. Governor Ted Kulongoski AFT-OR, Eugene Education Association, GTFF (Graduate Teaching appointed Tom to act as a senior policy advisor in 2004. Fellows Federation), Oregon Education Association & United Academics-UO Join us for a Social Hour, GSH Great Room, 8–10 pm Brought to you by the Lane County Central Labor Chapter, Oregon AFL-CIO All non-alcoholic beverages are complimentary LABOREGON LABOR EDUCATION & LERC R E S E A R C H C E N T E R OREGON AFL-CIO / LERC SUMMER SCHOOL 2018 LABOR EDUCATION AND RESEARCH CENTER Leadership Academy Graduation! Saturday Aug 4, 2018 • 12:45 – 1:30 pm • GSH Great Room The first cohort of LERC’s new Leadership Academy is graduating! Twenty-two union staff and member- leaders from seven different unions will be receiving their Excellence in Labor Leadership certificates at Summer School. The group has been collaborating since March, both in monthly classes and on-line discussions in pursuing field projects to build the strength of their unions, supported by mentoring from LERC faculty. Their projects have included signing up members, developing stewards and other work site leaders, new union organizing, challenging misclassification for independent contractors, and preparing for bargaining. LERC is deeply grateful to this inaugural group of unionists for their smart and passionate engagement in the Academy, and the leaders who sponsored them. We are also thankful to the Portland Association of Teachers and the Oregon AFL-CIO for hosting Academy classes, and to Debra Kidney from AFSCME who helped us with Join us Next Year for the 2nd Annual curriculum and instruction. Leadership Academy! The next cohort will kick off in March of 2019. It’s fun! It’s intense! It’s informative! And it’s part of building our 21st century labor movement! Join us! LEADERSHIPLABOR EDUCATION & Academy RESEARCH CENTER LABOREGON LABOR EDUCATION & LERC R E S E A R C H C E N T E R OREGON AFL-CIO / LERC SUMMER SCHOOL 2018 Sunday Breakfast Plenary 8:15 – 9:30 am • GSH Great Room Celebrating Our Victories: Winning for Workers in Challenging Times Alma Raya, is a Lead Organizer at the Mark Medina is a Chicano born and raised Oregon AFL-CIO where she assists affiliates in East Los Angeles to an immigrant family. with internal and external organizing Mark is one of the founders of the Burgerville campaigns. She was part of the Immigrant Workers Union and a rank and file organizer Organizing Project in Los Angeles, in which of the campaign, a former SEIU shop steward she helped organize car wash workers, and a longtime member of the IWW. grocery workers, construction workers, and taxi drivers. Alma grew up in Salinas, California surrounded by farms and exposed Moderator: Alma Raya to unfair working conditions, where she Mark Medina Organizer, OR AFL-CIO learned the importance of labor rights. Alma Organizer, Burgerville has a Bachelor’s degree in Political Science Workers Union and is involved with her community to achieve social justice. LaRece Rivera has been President of AFSCME Local 2831 Lane County Employees since January, 2016. AFSCME Local 2831 is Ramon Ramirez is the President (since made up of several sub units encompassing 1997) and a founding member of PCUN 700 members. In the fall of 2017, two of the (Pineros y Campesinos Unidos del Noroeste sub units of the local won many important *Northwest Treeplanters and Farmworkers concessions after going on strike for 7 days. United), Oregon’s Farmworker Union. LaRece starting working for Lane County in He serves on the Board of Directors of February 2008 and became active in the local the Farmworker Housing Development in 2012. LaRece Rivera Corporation; the Center for Social Inclusion, President, AFSCME Farmworker Justice. In 2003, Ramon received Local 2831 the Leadership for a Changing World award Ramon Ramirez Kathleen Stanley is a Senior Instructor from the Ford Foundation which granted President at Oregon State University where she has PCUN $100,000 to advance the work of PCUN. In taught since 1995. A long time member of the 2009, Ramon was one of Utne Reader’s 50 AAUP advocacy chapter, she was an active Visionaries Who are Changing Your World. participant in forming United Academics of Oregon State University which received certification on June 27. She is pleased to appear on this panel representing the many colleagues who have worked tirelessly to create a true academic community and Kathleen Stanley collective bargaining unit at OSU. United Academics of Oregon State University LABOREGON LABOR EDUCATION & LERC R E S E A R C H C E N T E R OREGON AFL-CIO / LERC SUMMER SCHOOL 2018 Summer School Instructors Lori Baumann is an Oregon Tradeswomen graduate and has Samuel Davila has been a labor organizer with SEIU for the spent a majority of her apprenticeship and journey-level field work past 14 years. Samuel is the cofounder of the Willamette Valley Rapid on bridges and heavy highway, in the Portland area. Lori has been a Response Collective, which organizes immigrants and allies in a business agent for LIUNA, Laborers Local 737 for the past two years. community defense and support network around ICE raids and other She is deliberately activated by social justice issues and advocating anti-immigrant related actions. He is also a musician and uses music for minority workers in family wage careers within the construction in both labor and community organizing. industry. Jessica Giannettino Villatoro is the Political Director Summer School Faculty Coordinator for the Oregon AFL-CIO. She began working for Working America, the AFL-CIO’s field program during the 2010 Gubernatorial race and Bob Bussel Since 2002, Bob Bussel has been director of the was hired by the Oregon AFL-CIO in 2011. She currently serves as Labor Education and Research Center and a professor of history the Federation’s Political and Legislative Director where she directs at the University of Oregon. Before entering the university labor field efforts during elections and advocates for Oregon’s workers in education field, he spent ten years as a union organizer and the State Legislature. Jess has also served as the Federation’s Field representative. As a labor educator, Bob has conducted training Director, where she specialized in bringing together community- on strategic planning, leadership development, internal organizing, based organizations and local unions on issues crucial to Oregon’s messaging and framing, and labor history. He is the author of two working people. books and has published numerous articles on labor history and contemporary labor issues. In recent years Bob has become deeply Tashia Harris is currently a freelance facilitator with experience interested in issues affecting immigrant workers and helped begin working with non-profit organizations, colleges, philanthropy, and the Integration Network for Immigrants in Lane County, a group that health providers. They have experience in being an Educator, Racial seeks to create a more welcoming environment for immigrants and Justice Director, and Associate Director of Women and Gender their families. His most recent project is a documentary film on the Studies. Tashia identifies as a black queer trans person, using he/they history of home health care organizing in Oregon. pronouns and is originally from Montgomery, AL. They are a Doctoral Candidate in Education and hold a M.A. in Urban Affairs as well as a Barbara Byrd spent 22 years on the faculty of LERC, B.S. in Interpersonal and Public Communication. and has continued after her retirement earlier this year to teach and coordinate educational programs for LERC. She also serves Sherman Henry is a LERC faculty member based at the as the Secretary-Treasurer of the Oregon AFL-CIO, where she UO Portland Center. He has more than twenty years experience in coordinates policy and education activities in the arenas of economic the labor movement in Florida, a right to work culture. As a labor development, workforce training and green jobs/climate change.